PD&F SUPPORTS LOCAL STUDENTS AND MANUFACTURING SECTOR

This past Fall and Spring Primex Design & Fabrication was proud to partner with three students from the Ivy Tech Richmond Campus on industrial design projects. PD&F offered the students the opportunity to participate in real-world product design by creating new products using the unique Bubble-X extruded sheet material. Professor Patrick Piper supervised the students on behalf of Ivy Tech. Debbie Robinson and Shannon Davis coordinated the projects for Primex.

The objective of the partnership was to expose Ivy Tech students to the vast opportunities in the manufacturing sector by allowing them to design, create and plan the marketing of new products using the Bubble-X material.

StudentsTyler Moore – graduating this Spring with an associate’s degree in Applied Science. Tyler has created an alternative solution to the typical application of plywood to windows as protection in hurricanes. The use of Bubble-X with a unique attachment system is a lighter weight and less expensive alternative to plywood. 9.5mm Bubble-X is less than 50 percent of the weight and half the cost of ½ inch plywood. With the attachment system, a custom-sized sheet of Bubble-X can be applied to a window in seconds without the need for nailing and disfiguring the window trim. Additionally, due to its durability and water proof characteristics, the Bubble-X sheet is reusable, while plywood gets wet and needs to be discarded after every use.

Shannon Stump– graduating Fall of 2017 in Engineering Technology. Shannon has designed a new lightweight and foldable pet carrier system. The carrier can be manufactured in virtually any size. The prototype carrier has been tested to 37 pounds. The carrier is durable, reusable, and easy to clean. Since the carrier is foldable, it takes up substantially less space on retail shelves than existing molded pet carriers.

Roger French– pursuing a degree in Engineering Technology. Roger has created an indoor/outdoor sign system. Bubble-X is durable and 100 percent recyclable and can be printed or laminated. Most outdoor signs are currently produced with corrugated plastic material which is not as durable and shows lines in its surface, presenting a less appealing appearance. Bubble-X’s surface is totally smooth. Roger’s sign system, which includes a tubular steel frame, is easy to change out and can be scaled to 4 X 8 foot panels. He is also designing a frame system that can be applied to long haul trucks without adding much weight.

Outcomes
At a luncheon on May 25 the students will present their projects to a panel that will include Primex Plastics President Mike Cramer, and a representative of Primex’s parent company, ICC Industries. After evaluation and testing, Primex Design & Fabrication will manufacture and market the selected products.